Monday, November 30, 2015

Another winter season is quickly approaching and Blue Hill Farm is gearing up for the convoy south!!Last year Missy and the BHF team settled into a beautiful 80 acre property in Citra owned by Cindy Torbeck, an area about 20 minutes from the heart of Ocala. The farm was beautiful, with a central home (for Cindy's family), 2 large barns and a gigantic front field primarily used for training, dressage and show jumping. Ample turnout ensures that all the ponies have plenty of room to stretch.

Florida Address:653 West Hwy 316 Citra, Fl 32113
We will be accepting new horses and riders in training beginning in January at this beautiful farm in the Ocala area. Please contact Missy for more information and we'll see you in Florida!!

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Blue Hill Farm was honored to welcome British Paralympic coach Clive Milkins to the farm this past week to coach both Gigi McIntosh and Riley Garrett.

Clive has decades of experience coaching British para equestrians at the upper level of the sport, most notably at the World Championships and Paralympic games. Under his leadership, he's coached at the Athens, Beijing and London Paralympics, with his rider Sophie Christiansen winning multiple gold metals at the London games in 2012.

Missy and Jessica very much appreciated the time to collaborate with Clive on different training approaches with each rider. Clive now travels throughout the world teaching individuals and clinics, greatly enjoying the opportunity to share his wealth of knowledge.

Thank you Clive for joining us at BHF and we look forward to your return!!

Sharing an article written by resident Blue Hill Farm team member Lisa Thomas, written for Wellington Equestrian Realty. Article below.

Last week in Katy, Texas the USEF High Performance Para-Equestrian
Dressage National Championships wrapped up with yet another year of
solid performances by all of the para-equestrians who attended. The
USPEA (United States Para-Equestrian Association) is a recognized
affiliate of the USEF (United States Equestrian Federation), providing
opportunities for training, clinics and competitions on an international
stage for riders with disabilities. The USPEA seeks to offer those
riders who became exposed to horses through therapeutic riding programs
the opportunity to take their equestrian pursuits to the competitive
level.

Para-Dressage divisions are classified by Grades according to
disability, and the USPEA has seen growth in the para-equestrian sport
with the number of riders tripling over the past several years. Since
recognized USDF para competitions are not as readily available as
able-bodied events, most USDF able bodied competitions offer
para-equestrians the opportunity to ride and compete, earning points
towards national championships.

The High Performance and National Championships just recently
concluded in Katy, Texas and all of USA’s High Performance
para-equestrian’s were in attendance. Across all the grade divisions a
total of 15 riders were in attendance, competing on 19 horses. Rebecca
Hart garnered her 7th High Performance National Championship title
aboard Schroeter’s Romani.

Below is an excerpt from the recent USPEA’s Championship press release:

“Katy, Texas – November 3, 2015
– Accomplished Grade II athlete Rebecca Hart once again took home the
USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage High Performance National Championship
aboard Shroeter’s Romani. Hart maintained the lead over a large field of
competitors at the 2015 Championship earning the Leading Athlete award.
She also topped the ranks of Grade II in the Katy, Texas CPEDI3* event.
Hart is a two-time Paralympian (2008, 2012) and two-time World
Equestrian Games athlete (2010, 2014). Annie Peavy earned the 2015 USEF
Para-Equestrian High Performance Dressage Reserve Championship with Ozzy
Cooper, owned by Rebecca Reno.

“In addition to winning the High Performance Championship
and earning the Leading Athlete Award, Rebecca Hart and Romani topped
the Grade II CPEDI3*. The pair has been campaigning around the world
perfecting their tests and earning valuable feedback from judges across
Europe.”

In our previous article
we featured para-equestrian Margaret McIntosh who traveled from her
home base at Blue Hill Farm in Unionville, Pennsylvania to compete at
the championships in Katy, Texas. Coached by Missy Ransehousen, an upper
level event rider, prior Pan American team member and 3 time paralympic
coach, McIntosh had high expectations from her own Rio Rio for the
National Championships in the Grade 1a. This pair had success by winning
their CPEDI3* Individual Test, but the travel to Texas and great shift
in climate from the hurricane in Mexico had it’s impact on her final
test. Rio Rio, although exceptionally well trained and prepared for this
event, had a typical horse moment, demonstrating that even para horses
are prone to an occasional buck with weather changes. With only 2 riders
in her Grade 1a division, this sort of error immediately cost McIntosh a
second win.

Bolstering The High Performance Numbers For The USPEA

McIntosh’s division wasn’t the only one with a low number of entries.
With several of the high performance divisions only having a few
entries, one questions why participation is low at high performance
level in the Para-Equestrian championships. A call to the president of
the USPEA, Hope Hand, revealed several reasons why the championships
waned in numbers.

“One of the biggest challenges to increasing the number of riders at
competitions is, of course, the cost associated with sourcing
appropriate mounts and funding the travel to compete at national horse
shows. Surprisingly, there actually isn’t a shortage of horses. We have
great horses, but we need to be able to raise funds to educate, provide
training and develop our newer para-riders so they can come up through
the ranks and compete in the high performance divisions.”

Hope Hand also commented that fund raising to provide training camps
and educational programs is one of the biggest challenges when seeking
to bolster the number of participants. “Our developing riders are young
and the learning curve to prepare these riders for this level of
competition is great. We need to raise money for training camps to
funnel more riders into the High Performance pipeline. The 15 riders who
competed in Texas represented our entire list of High Performance
Para-Equestrians. Everyone at that talent level was present.”

In speaking with Missy Ransehousen, she agrees that the challenges
lie with providing proper training for the developing riders. Rebecca
Hart who trained with Blue Hill Farm for years until moving to
Wellington, is a prime example of the hard work required to make it to
the top of the sport. “Becca has trained and dedicated herself to being a
competitive para-equestrian for the past decade. She dominates the
sport because she has trained hard and has made personal sacrifices to
get to where she is within the sport.”

Hart has relocated to Wellington, Florida and is currently training with Todd Flettrich,
who was also trained and mentored earlier in his career by Jessica
Ransehousen, Missy’s mother and 3 time Olympian. Hart flourished through
her previous coaching experience with the Ransehousens, and by
relocating to Wellington to train full time with Flettrich, has every
tool for success. Through the generous backing of Margaret Duprey and
Cherry Knoll Farm, William and Sandy Kimmel, Barbara Summer and Hart’s
other supporters, she will continue to be competitive on the
international stage.

“The Adequan® Global Dressage Festival is very excited to host an
expanded tour for the para-equestrian riders in 2016,” stated Thomas
Baur, Director of Sport for AGDF. “Wellington is home to some of the
best equestrian competition in the world, and we hope to continue to
grow the sport and welcome more great competitors each year. This year
is especially important as riders prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games and
Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We look forward to hosting
the world’s top horses and riders as they build up to those important
championships.

“Mission Control, an advertising company owned by Ed
Peavy and Rebecca Reno, is one of the four presenting sponsors of CPEDI
competition at this year’s AGDF. In 2015, Mission Control presented two
small tour CDI shows, and for 2016, Rebecca Reno has been a driving
force in expanding the CPEDIs. The couple began sponsoring the sport in
support of their daughter, Annie, who is a Grade III Para-Dressage
rider.

“Annie Peavy was recently named reserve champion in the CPEDI 3* High
Performance division at the 2015 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National
Championships. She and champion Rebecca Hart, along with many other top
Para-Dressage competitors, look forward to competing in Wellington this
winter as they prepare for the 2016 Paralympic Games. Peavy trains with
Heather Blitz, who is a well-known competitor on the AGDF circuit each
season.”

Join Us In Raising Awareness of the USPEA and Their Para-Equestrians

Riders at the 2014 CPEDI at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival. Photo by Lindsay Y. McCall

It’s now time to see what we can do to help other riders dedicate the
time and raise their level of training so we can develop other talented
para-equestrians to compete at this level!

The international para-dressage athletes will be competing at the
Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Florida, January 7-10
and 21-24, 2016 and their riders need our help. If you will be in
Wellington this January, please come out to show your support and to
watch these competitors in action. The USPEA together with the USEF
(United States Equestrian Federation) will be hosting fundraising events
in the Wellington area and we will certainly post that information once
the details have been finalized.

In the interim, please learn more about the USPEA
(United States Para Equestrian Association) through their website,
consider making a donation to this developing discipline and come out to
support them in Wellington this upcoming January!

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Everyone at Blue Hill Farm is so thrilled for our resident Eventing 25 recipient, Madeline Backus!! Missy and Jess are so proud of her great educational year, culminating with her young rider award at Fair Hill. This girl has all the components to be a world class rider - she's a hard worker, a talented rider and a wonderful human being! We can't wait to see how far she and P.S. Arianna will go this year. Onto Young Riders and the Fair Hill International 3!

Lexington, Ky. -
The USEF Eventing High Performance Committee has approved the following
athletes to the High Performance Winter/Spring Training Lists and the
Eventing 25 and Eventing 18 programs for 2016. The High Performance
athletes will participate in training sessions with U.S. Eventing Team
Coach David O'Connor, while the Eventing 25 and 18 athletes will work
with USEF Eventing Developing Rider Coach Leslie Law in their respective
training sessions. Training session dates and locations will be
announced at a later date.

The
USEF International High Performance Programs are generously supported
by the USET Foundation, USOC, and USEF Sponsors and Members. Without the
support of these organizations and individuals, it would not be
possible to support the training of the athletes named to these lists.
The USEF is especially grateful to individuals who give generously of
their time and money to support the equestrian teams.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

For our Para fans, we do have an update on Gigi and Rio's adventures at the US Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships recently held in Katy, Tx. It took a huge effort from the team at Blue Hill Farm and through Gigi's generous supporters - but this team made it to Katy Texas, and we are very grateful!

Our Reunion With Rachel Gross!

Rio Rio!

Here is the update from Gigi:

"Finishing a very successful year in 2015, Rio Rio was in third place overall before she spooked in the Freestyle, dropping us down to a very close fifth in the USEF High Performance Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship."The competition in Texas was an opportunity to get in front of our competition and the judges, but was not an actual selection trial. With that in mind, Gigi and Rio did not have their best showing to date, but the experience of traveling to Texas was paramount in preparation for the upcoming selection trials."We are still very much in contention for the 2016 US Paralympic Dressage Team as the selection competition moves to Wellington for two CPEDI3* International competitions January 14-17 and January 28-31, 2016."

Gigi continues with her feedback on Rio's weekend, "I'd like to blame Rio's disobedience on the weather, beginning with her arrival in Katy, TX in the middle of Hurricane Patricia! The week that followed involved wind, rain and stifling humidity, culminating in a lovely cool Freestyle Day. After all that, no wonder she was feeling a little fresh!"

"My heartfelt gratitude to Missy Ransehousen and Rachel Gross (the indispensable members of Team Rio Rio who have seen us through all sorts of adversity) and to Jessica Ransehousen and the home team at Blue Hill Farm for their enthusiastic support. Thank you (especially) to my husband Brian, my family and my priceless friends with their limitless encouragement! We were very happy to have great friends from Houston, Kathy Van Wie, Josephine and Martin Langley and Robin Gross cheering us on as well!"

Gigi is also extremely appreciative to her sponsors at Nutrena and Winnie's Cookies for helping support her in her quest to make the 2016 US Paralympic Team!In other news, Fork In The Road continues to be featured in area film festivals.

Thanks to Lettie Hummel's encouragement,…….Gigi's short documentary, Fork In The Road, has been chosen to be shown at the Reading Film Festival on Saturday, November 14 at the Reading RC IMAX 11 movie theater! Showing times are from 2-4PM in a series called Saturday Shorts, see the following link for ticket information!

We are excited to have the opportunity to bring International Event and silver medal dressage rider Missy Ransehousen back to WI for a 2 day clinic.

Group lessons are approximately 1.5hrs in duration and private dressage lessons 45 minutes.Group lessons will focus on dressage and stadium jumping on Saturday laying the groundwork for Sundays jumping lesson.

Group lessons $220.00 for the weekend

Private lesson (dressage only) $90.00/ lesson

Haul in fee $10.00/day

Missy has successfully competed nationally and internationally for the USA eventing team including wining a silver medal at the 1995 Pan Am Games. When not eventing, she has competed successfully through Prix St George dressage achieving her silver medal. She has trained extensively with Olympians Jessica Ransehousen and Robert Dover.

We have two very versatile amateur horses on the market right now at Blue Hill Farm!

Woody, 2003, 16.1H Imported KWPN Gelding

Woody is a 2003 16.1 hand imported KWPN gelding. He is by Houston out of a Flemmingh mare.

Woody has led a low mileage lifestyle due to the owner's work commitments but would be competitive in many disciplines including dressage, show jumping and eventing. He has solid dressage fundamentals and experience at 1st level schooling shows and is also a super jumper. Woody is a class act with an endearing personality and is a pleasure to handle every day.

2008, 16.2H Canadian Warmblood Gelding by Watch Me (Oldenberg) out of a TB mare.

Wripples has been in professional training at Blue Hill for over a year and has been competed by Rachel Gross through 2nd level at Blue Goose and other unrecognized shows. He's a beautiful mover with the education and ability to go to 3rd level.

He is an exceptional horse for an amateur who wants to be quite competitive at the lower levels in the dressage ring!